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Sunday, September 14, 2025
TopicBeyond the Reel

Topic: Beyond the Reel

Why’s Bollywood obsessed with Vijay Mallya? Neeyat, Crew tap into a lingering fantasy

Crew trains its guns on Mallya from the get-go – showcasing his famous ‘gift packs’ and ‘welcome videos’, and dressing its on-screen stewardesses in Kingfisher-like red uniforms.

Barbie movie disappoints just like the doll. Needs radical makeover, not trendy updates

Over the decades, Barbie has tried to convince us she's changing. But tweaking isn't transforming. Greta Gerwig's movie is one more modification, not a radical 21st century makeover.

Adipurush controversy shows there’s no pleasing Hindu groups. They want 100% compliance

From lashing out at Om Raut for kissing Kriti Sanon on the cheek to targetting ‘anti-Hindu’ Saif Ali Khan, the criticisms surrounding Adipurush are rooted in sexism and Islamophobia.

20 years of Chalte Chalte—when SRK didn’t play the king of romance

Chalte Chalte’s Raj seems to be an obvious precursor to men who stalk and abuse their partners, like in Kabir Singh and the atrocities Luv Ranjan calls films.

Look out for the women in Rocket Boys — Mrinalini Sarabhai, Pipsy show grit and grace

In the very first episode of the new season, Mrinalini Sarabhai shuts down a journalist more curious about her absence from Vikram’s rocket launch than her dance academy.

Bollywood romances are dead. This generation doesn’t have its own Raj, Rahul or Simran

The past 5 years have not seen any full-blown romances, at least no memorable ones. Love has been relegated to a subplot.

Bhediya to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, ‘horror-comedy’ built a loyal fanbase in 2022

Indian horror films have come a long way from the Ramsay brothers and Vikram Bhatt era of the 1980s and early 2000s.

Chitchor to Hum Aapke Hain Koun—Rajshri films echoed India’s nostalgia for perfect sanskari era

In an era when watching Titanic with parents was a shared trauma for millenials, Rajshri films were ‘clean’ and you could safely watch them with no hesitation.

Brahmastra to Liger—Love in Bollywood is an overused ‘button’. Go back to Piku era

Bollywood is slacking on good love stories. Despite more than 70 releases in 2022, none were acclaimed as great romances.

Are doctors divided by gender? Male gynaecologists agree with Doctor G’s Ayushmann Khurrana

Not only are families disturbed when women members consult male specialists, there have been several instances where their mere presence has caused a ruckus.

On Camera

Russian-style socialism dominated Nehru’s imagination. It was disastrous

It is necessary to break the spell of socialist dogma on the imagination of those attracted by its Utopia as the only scientific way of progress, wrote MA Venkatarao in 1963.

What’s behind bond yields’ logic-defying spike? The market’s concern over the future

While bond yields tend to fall amid low inflation & interest rate cuts, market experts say they’ve been rising due to concerns over tax collections, fiscal deficit & potential impact of US tariffs.

Navy gets first Tata-made Spanish 3D surveillance radar for its warships, 19 more to come

It is one of the most advanced long-range air defence and anti-missile radars. It has been acquired under an about USD 145-million deal signed in 2020.

Gen Zs have taken down the Nepal regime. Here’s why this will never happen in India

To be truly functional and durable, even eternal, a state doesn’t just need a leader, a party or an ideology. It needs functional and robust institutions.